Water-tight electronic device display

ABSTRACT

An electronic device includes a housing and a water tight display disposed within the housing. The display may include a light guide and a gasket coupled to at least a portion of the light guide. A cavity may be interposed between the gasket and the light guide. A flexible printed circuit assembly (FPCA) may couple to the light guide and the gasket to seal an opening of the cavity. Light sources may be connected to the flexible printed circuit assembly and disposed within the cavity. Adhesive tape may couple to the light guide and the gasket on a side opposite the FPCA to seal an opening of the cavity. Collectively, the light guide, the gasket, the flexible printed circuit assembly, and the adhesive tape may prevent water from reaching the cavity.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/570,611, filed Oct. 10, 2017, which is incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND

Electronic devices come in many different shapes and sizes, and housingsfor such devices are made of a wide variety of materials. Mostelectronic devices have housings made of hard plastic or metal, whichprovide at least some structural support and protection for internalcomponents. However, such housings often fail to protect the internalcomponents from liquids that penetrate the electronic device and damageor affect components therein. For instance, displays, light sources, orelectronic components may be short-circuited or water may distort anappearance of emitted light.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanyingfigures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference numberidentifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Thesame reference numbers in different figures indicate similar oridentical items.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device includingan example display.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the example display of FIG. 1, with a portionof an adhesive tape cut away to illustrate internal components of theexample display.

FIG. 3 is a back view of the example display of FIG. 1, with a portionof a flexible printed circuit assembly cut away to illustrate componentsof the example display.

FIG. 4A is a first cross-sectional view of the example display of FIG.1, taken along line A-A of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4B is a second cross-sectional view of the example display of FIG.1, taken along line B-B of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5A is a top view of another example display.

FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the example display of FIG. 5A,taken along line C-C of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6 is an example process to form a water-tight enclosure for adisplay of an electronic device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As discussed above, electronic devices may be susceptible to waterdamage or may otherwise be adversely impacted by water that entersand/or contacts internal components of the electronic device. Existingapproaches to prevent water from damaging an electronic device havefocused on preventing water from entering an outer enclosure of theelectronic device using seals or sealants. These existing approacheshave been unsatisfactory and insufficient to adequately waterproofelectronic devices. For instance, seals or sealants may increase aweight or bulkiness of the electronic device, may decrease a performanceof the electronic device, or may not effectively resist water.Accordingly, electronic devices may be susceptible to failure when watercontacts internal components. For instance, in the event that waterenters the outer enclosure of such existing electronic devices, thewater may permeate around one or more light sources and may discolor orotherwise degrade an appearance of a display of the electronic device,or may short circuit or otherwise damage or degrade the internalcomponents.

This application describes a water tight enclosure that may be includedin electronic devices and/or displays. The water-tight enclosure mayprevent water from entering, damaging, and/or adversely affectinginternal components located within the electronic device. In someinstances, a display according to this application may include a lightguide, one or more light sources, a gasket, a circuit board, andadhesive tape. In combination, the components of the display may providea water-tight enclosure that protects and prevents water from enteringcavities housing the light source(s) or other electronic components. Insome instances, the display may reside within a housing of an electronicdevice, such that the display is enclosed on at least five sides by thehousing of the electronic device. The housing of the electronic devicemay provide some water resistance. For example, in some instances, thehousing may wrap around at least a periphery of a sixth (front) side ofthe display and may seal to the sixth side of the display to resistwater entering the housing.

In the event that water does enter the housing, the water-tightenclosure of the display may prevent water from permeating or damagingcertain components located within the electronic device housing (e.g., adisplay or light sources). The water-tight enclosure may prevent waterfrom entering the cavities and becoming interposed between the lightsources and the light guide, for instance, eliminating a distortion oflight emitted by the light sources (e.g., blue shift). The components ofthe display may also be sufficiently bonded or coupled to one another soas to resist peeling away, delaminating, or otherwise separating.

The display may generally include a display area and one or morecomponents that provide power, light, and/or functionality to thedisplay screen. The display area may include a liquid crystal display(LCD), a light emitting diode display (LEDD), a plasma display, anelectronic ink (e-ink) display, a flexible display, a combination of anyof the foregoing, or other display technologies. In some instances, thedisplay area may be touch sensitive and capable of receiving input bytouching the display area with a finger, hand, thumb, stylus, or otherpointing device.

The light guide may include an optical element designed and configuredto redirect light from the light sources towards the display area. Toaccomplish this, the light guide may comprise any type of light diffuserthat transmits light from the light sources and out one or moreprojecting side(s) of the display area. In some instances, the lightguide may comprise a milky or translucent material, such aspolycarbonate, that causes the light to disperse at various angles,resulting in a substantially uniform dispersion of light.

The gasket may be adhered or otherwise coupled to at least a portion ofthe light guide. The gasket may include an interior surface facing ordisposed adjacent to the light guide and an exterior surface oppositethe interior surface and distal from the light guide. In some instances,the gasket and the light guide may be coupled together at one or morelocations (e.g., first and second ends of the gasket may be coupled tothe light guide), forming a water-tight seal. For instance, at least aportion of the interior surface of the gasket may be adhered to at leasta portion of an exterior surface of the light guide. In some examples,the first and second ends of the gasket may be bonded or coupled to thefirst and second ends of the exterior surface of the light guide, with aspace between a middle portion of the gasket and a middle portion of thelight guide defining one or more cavities.

The light guide and the gasket may be of a similar thickness and/or mayoccupy a same layer of the display. In some instances, the light guideand the gasket may have substantially planar surfaces and be coupledsuch that their respective surfaces are substantially coplanar with oneanother.

As mentioned above, cavities may be formed between the light guide andthe gasket. In some instances, the gasket may include notches, pockets,recessions, pouches, chambers, apertures, or receptacles such that whenthe gasket is coupled to the light guide, cavities are formed. Thus, insome examples, the cavities may be interposed between a surface of thegasket, such as the interior surface of the gasket, and a surface of thelight guide, such as the exterior surface of the light guide.

The cavities may be sized to receive internal components of theelectronic device and may house the internal components and protect theinternal components from multiple sides (e.g., four sides). When theinternal components reside within the cavities, the internal componentsmay occupy a same layer of the display as the light guide and thegasket. To accommodate various internal components and differentconfigurations thereof, the gasket may take a plurality of shapes and/orprofiles. In addition, in some instances, the cavities may extendthrough an entire thickness of the gasket or may extend partiallytherethrough.

In some instances, walls or dividers may be interposed between adjacentcavities. In some examples, the walls or dividers may contact theexterior surface of the light guide, while in some examples, the wallsor dividers may be spaced from the exterior surface of the light guide.Stated another way, at least a portion of the interior surface of thegasket may occupy a space between adjacent internal components, such asthe light sources.

In some instances, the walls or dividers may prevent or minimize lightbleeding between adjacent light sources, may assist in directing lighttowards the light guide, may provide greater bonding surface areabetween the gasket and the light guide, may provide greater bondingsurface area between the gasket and the circuit board, may providegreater bonding surface area between the gasket and adhesive tape,and/or may assist in water-proofing the display. In some instances, thewalls or dividers may extend partially or completely through a thicknessof the gasket.

The gasket may be made of any resilient, water-proof, material thatresists water permeation into the cavities. In some instances, thegasket may be made of a closed cell acrylic foam, a high-density foam,an amorphous polymer, an elastomeric polymer, a polyurethane foam,polymeric foams, plastics, silicones, or other plastic or foammaterials. In some examples, the gasket may be made of a material thathas a non-porous exterior surface. In some instances, the gasket may beVHB™, made and manufactured by The 3M™ Company of Maplewood, Minn.

A circuit board may be coupled at least a portion of the light guide andat least a portion of the gasket. In some examples, the circuit boardmay enclose the cavities on a first (e.g., bottom) side. Stated anotherway, in some instances, when the circuit board is coupled to the lightguide and the gasket, the internal components may be placed within thecavities, so as to reside within a same layer of the display as thelight guide and the gasket, and one or more openings of a bottom portionof the one or more cavities may be enclosed and sealed by the circuitboard. The sealing by the circuit board may prevent water from enteringfrom the first side of the cavities (e.g. the bottom).

In some instances, adhesive may be interposed between the circuit boardand the light guide and the gasket. The adhesive may be applied to thecircuit board, the light guide, and/or the gasket. In some instances,the adhesive may be an optically clear adhesive. In addition, as thecircuit board couples and spans an interface between the light guide andthe gasket, the circuit board may help reinforce a bond between thelight guide and the gasket.

The circuit board may be made of any suitable water-proof material, suchas composites, plastics, metals, or any combination thereof. In someinstances, the circuit board may be a flexible printed circuit assembly(FPCA). The FPCA may comprise a composite of polymeric material,silicon, and/or metal, and may be impervious or resistant to water.

As discussed above, internal components may reside within the cavities.In some instances, the internal components may include one or more lightsources, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs). The light source(s) maybe positioned, configured, or coupled to the circuit board such thatwhen the circuit board is coupled to the light guide and the gasket, thelight sources are disposed within the cavities. In some instances,individual light sources may be disposed within a corresponding orrespective cavity. Therefore, in some instances, the circuit board mayoccupy a different layer of the display than the light guide, thegasket, and the internal components. The circuit board, andcorrespondingly, the light guide and gasket, may be sized and configuredto include any number of light sources.

Adhesive tape may couple to least a portion of the light guide and atleast a portion of the gasket, at surfaces opposite to where the circuitboard couples to the light guide and the gasket. That is, the adhesivetape and the circuit board may enclose or sandwich the light guide andthe gasket as well as the internal components, such that the light guideand the gasket are interposed between the adhesive tape, on one side,and the circuit board on another side. In line with the above example,the adhesive tape may enclose a top of the cavity, or occupy a differentlayer of the display than the light guide, the gasket, the circuitboard, and the internal components. In addition, similar to the circuitboard, as the adhesive tape couples and spans an interface between thelight guide and the gasket, the adhesive tape may help reinforce a bondbetween the light guide and the gasket.

The light guide, the gasket, the circuit board, and the adhesive tapemay enclose the cavities. That is, when the internal components residewithin the cavities, the internal components may be enclosed on multiplesides: the light guide on one side (e.g., first lateral side); thegasket on three sides (e.g., second lateral side and first and secondlongitudinal ends); the circuit board on one side (e.g., bottom); andthe adhesive tape on one side (e.g., top).

In some instances, such as when the internal components include lightsources, the adhesive tape may be transparent, opaque, or translucent,allowing light emitted by the light sources, for instance, to passtherethrough. In some instances, the adhesive tape may be opticallyclear, such that the adhesive tape may have a minimal effect on lightemitted by the light sources, so as to maintain their brightness,luminosity, performance, and/or appearance. In addition, the adhesivetape may prevent water from reaching the internal components. In someexamples, an adhesive layer of the adhesive tape may vary in order tocreate different bonding characteristics and properties with the lightguide and the gasket.

In combination, the light guide, the gasket, the circuit board, and theadhesive tape may be sufficiently bonded or adhered to one another, soas to make the cavities water-proof. That is, the display may have awater-tight enclosure occupied by the light sources through amulti-layer display (i.e., the adhesive tape, the light guide and thegasket, and the circuit board). The water-proofing of the display may,in some instances, prevent a distortion of light emitted by the lightsources even when water enters an outer housing of the electronicdevice. In prior water-resistant electronic devices, if water enteredthe outer housing of the electronic device it would occupy a spacearound the light sources, the light guide, or a display area and distortan appearance of the light or a projected image, resulting in a poor orundesirable appearance. In contrast, the water-proof enclosure of thedisplay described in this application may, at the outset, prevent orminimize such distortion or damage to internal components even if waterenters the outer housing of the electronic device.

To prevent water, moisture, or other foreign debris from reaching theinternal components, various thicknesses of adhesive or variousadhesives may be used to couple the circuit board, the light guide, theadhesive tape, or the gasket. For instance, as mentioned above, thecircuit board may be adhered to the light guide and the gasket via anadhesive layer, such as an optically clear adhesive. By way of anotherexample, to further couple the light guide and the gasket, adhesive maybe deposited on interfacing surfaces or edges (e.g., at one or moreinterfaces between gasket and the light guide). In some instances, theadhesives may be insoluble in water, or other liquids, so as to notseparate or peel away. The adhesives applied in this manner and/or thoseincluded on the adhesive tape, for instance, may be selectively appliedto prevent the adhesives from bleeding over or overflowing into thecavities and/or onto the light sources. Such controlled application may,in some instances, prevent or reduce light shifts (e.g., blue shift) oroverheating of the light sources.

The water-proof enclosure of this application may therefore, in someexamples, prevent damage or sub-par performance of the electronicdevice. For instance, the water-proof enclosure may prevent water fromreaching the one or more light sources and potentially short-circuitingthe light sources and/or distorting light produced by the one or morelight sources.

Moreover, the water-tight enclosure according to this application maywater-proof the light sources without sacrificing an aestheticappearance or overall thickness of the display. That is, as usersgenerally prefer electronic devices to be relatively small and thin, thewater-proof enclosure may be capable of providing waterproofingtechniques in a compact manner. Particularly, the adhesive tape and thecircuit board may be repurposed in the sense that they (1) helpwater-proof the cavities and (2) carry out their respective functions.That is, the adhesive tape may allow light to pass therethrough, whileat the same time water-proofing a first side of the cavities. Similarly,the circuit board may serve as a substrate to which the one or morelight sources are mounted and by which the one or more light sources arepowered, while water-proofing a second side of the cavities opposite thefirst side. In contrast, conventional displays may employ additionalwater-proofing materials or techniques to adequately water-proof thecavities.

The materials making up the display may be strong and resilient so as toprotect against punctures or forces applied to the electronic device.Additionally, the light guide, the gasket, the circuit board, and theadhesive tape may be embodied as single pieces of materials,respectively, so as limit seams through which water could leak. However,in some instances, the light guide, the gasket, the circuit board, andthe adhesive tape may be manufactured from multiple pieces of materialsthat are assembled together.

While the examples given herein describe a water-tight enclosure housinglight sources of an electronic device, in other examples the techniquesdiscussed herein may be used to provide a water-tight enclosure for oneor more other internal components of an electronic device (e.g.,processors, batteries, radios, circuitry, sensors (e.g., hall, touch,proximity) etc.). Also, the techniques may be applied to a wide varietyof electronic devices. For instance, examples of electronic deviceshaving displays that can employ the techniques described herein mayinclude, by way of example and not limitation, mobile phones (e.g., cellphones, smart phones, etc.), tablet computing devices, electronic bookreader devices, laptop or all-in-one computers, media players, portablegaming devices, televisions, monitors, cameras, wearable computingdevices, and electronic picture frames. In some examples, the techniquesdescribed herein may additionally or alternatively be used with audiovirtual assistant devices, radios, speakers, personal computers,external hard drives, input/output devices (e.g., remote controls, gamecontrollers, keyboards, mice, touch pads, microphones, speakers, etc.),or any other electronic device having one or more light sources or otherelectronic components that can be enclosed in a water-tight cavitybounded by one or more light guides, gaskets, printed circuitassemblies, and/or adhesive tapes.

Additional details of these and other examples are described below withreference to the drawings.

Example Display

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective exploded view of an example display100. In some instances, the display 100 may include a display screen102, a light guide 104 coupled to the display screen 102, a gasket 106,a flexible printed circuit assembly 108, light sources 110 disposed onor communicatively coupled to the flexible printed circuit assembly 108,an optically clear adhesive 112, and adhesive tape 114 (collectively“components”). In the discussion of the figures, various references maybe made to a front, back, top, bottom, side, etc. The Cartesian (X-Y-Z)coordinate system included in FIG. 1 is meant to assist in thediscussion of the display 100 and will be referenced herein.

As mentioned above, the light guide 104 may include a structureconfigured to direct light from the light sources 110 towards thedisplay screen 102. The light guide 104 may span a length of the displayscreen 102, or may be sized smaller than the display screen 102 and/orthe display 100. In some instances, the light guide 104 may be coupledto the display screen 102 or may be integrated therewith.

The gasket 106 may couple to an exterior surface 116 of the light guide104. The gasket 106 may include notches 118 disposed on an interiorsurface 120 of the gasket 106. A first or “interior” edge of the gasket106 may be coupled to an edge or “exterior surface” of the light guide104, forming cavities interposed between the exterior surface 116 of thelight guide 104 and the interior surface 120 of the gasket 106. When thelight guide 104 and the gasket are coupled together, multiple cavitiesmay be defined by the notches 118 disposed in the interior surface 120and between ends of the gasket 106. The ends of the gasket 106 may becoupled to the light guide 104. The cavities may be of any size and eachmay be configured to receive and house one or more internal components.In addition, the gasket 106 may be of a similar or different length thanthe light guide 104.

To form the water-tight enclosure, in some instances, the ends of thegasket 106 may be adhered, bonded, sealed, or otherwise coupled to theexterior surface 116 of the light guide 104 in a water-tight manner. Insome instances, a portion of the interior surface 120 of the gasket 106may additionally or alternatively be coupled to the exterior surface 116of the light guide 104. For instance, adhesive may be applied at aninterface 204 where the exterior surface 116 of the light guide 104 andthe interior surface 120 of the gasket 106 adjoin. When coupledtogether, for instance, via the adhesive applied at the interface 204,the light guide 104 and the gasket 106 may form a water-tight seal thatis impermeable to liquid ingress.

In some instances, a thickness of the gasket 106 may be substantiallythe same as a thickness of the light guide 104, such that top and bottomsurfaces of the gasket are substantially flush with top and bottomsurfaces of the light guide, respectively. That is, a top surface of thelight guide 104 may be substantially co-planar with a top surface of thegasket 106, and similarly, a bottom surface of the light guide 104 maybe substantially co-planar with a bottom surface of the gasket 106. Inthe illustrated example, the top surfaces of the light guide 104 and thegasket 106 may be on first X-Y plane, and the bottom surfaces of thelight guide 104 and the gasket 106 may be in a second X-Y plane that isspaced in the Z direction by a distance equal to the thickness of thelight guide 104 and the gasket 106.

The notches 118 are shown as being separated by walls 122, facades,dividers, partitions, or other surfaces that extend at least partiallybetween adjacent light sources 110. When the gasket 106 is coupled tothe light guide 104, the walls 122 may be offset or spaced from theexterior surface 116 of the light guide 104, or may contact or couplewith the light guide 104. However, the walls 122 may be larger orsmaller in the X or Y directions than depicted in FIG. 1. In someinstances, one or more of the walls 122 may be adhered, bonded, sealed,or otherwise coupled to the light guide 104. In such examples, thelength of the walls 122 (in the Y direction) may be increased, so as toincrease the bonding surface and/or a bond between the light guide 104and the gasket 106.

A bottom surface of the light guide 104 and a bottom surface of thegasket 106 may be adhered, bonded, sealed, or otherwise coupled to theflexible printed circuit assembly 108. In some instances, an opticallyclear adhesive 112 may be disposed between the flexible printed circuitassembly 108 and the bottom surface of the light guide 104 and thegasket 106. The coupling between the flexible printed circuit assembly108 and the light guide 104 as well as the coupling between the flexibleprinted circuit assembly 108 and the gasket 106 may be water-tight. Inthis sense, the flexible printed circuit assembly 108 may enclose andseal the cavities from liquid ingress. In the illustrative example, theflexible printed circuit assembly 108 may enclose and seal a bottom ofthe cavities (in the Z-direction). However, in other examples, theflexible printed circuit assembly 108 may enclose and seal a top of thecavities.

In some instances, internal components, such as the light sources 110,may reside within the cavities. The light sources 110 may be coupled toor in contact with the flexible printed circuit assembly 108, so as toelectrically connect the light sources 110 with processors, hardware,memory, etc. located elsewhere in an electronic device, via theconnection 124. In some instances, the light sources 110 may includeLEDs. However, in other examples, other types of light sources mayadditionally or alternatively be used. When the flexible printed circuitassembly 108 is coupled to the light guide 104 and the gasket 106, thelight sources 110 may be disposed within the cavities, in between thewalls 122 of adjacent cavities. In some instances, each light source ofthe light sources 110 may be deposited within a corresponding orrespective cavity. Alternatively, or additionally, more than one lightsource 110, or other internal component (e.g., hall sensor), may bedisposed within each cavity.

Adhesive tape 114 may be adhered, bonded, sealed, or otherwise coupledto a top surface of the light guide 104 and a top surface of the gasket106. That is, the adhesive tape 114 may couple to the light guide 104and the gasket 106 in the Z-direction and spaced apart from the secondX-Y plane where the bottom surface of the light guide 104 and the bottomsurface of the gasket 106 are coupled to the flexible printed circuitassembly 108. The coupling between the adhesive tape 114 and the lightguide 104 as well as the coupling between the adhesive tape 114 and thegasket 106 may be water-tight. In this sense, the adhesive tape 114 mayenclose and seal the cavities. In the illustrated example as previouslymentioned, the adhesive tape 114 may enclose and seal a top of thecavities, opposite to where the flexible printed circuit assembly 108encloses and seals the bottom of the cavities (spaced apart in theZ-direction). However, in some instances, the disposition of theadhesive tape 114 may enclose and seal the bottom of the cavities.

In some instances, similar to the flexible printed circuit assembly 108,the adhesive tape 114 may help bond and retain the light guide 104 andthe gasket 106 together.

In addition, the adhesive tape 114 may be transparent, translucent, oropaque, so as to allow light emitted by the light sources 110 to passthrough the adhesive tape 114. In some instances, the light emitted bythe light sources 110 may be unaffected or substantially unaffected bythe adhesive tape 114.

Collectively, when the components are assembled, the light sources 110within the cavities may be encapsulated on all six sides. For instance:along the first X-Y plane, a bottom of the cavities may be encapsulatedby the flexible printed circuit assembly 108, via the optically clearadhesive 112; along the second X-Y plane, a top of the cavities may beencapsulated by the adhesive tape 114; along a first Y-Z plane, thecavities may be encapsulated by the light guide 104; along a second Y-Zplane, the cavities may be encapsulated by the gasket 106; and along afirst and second X-Z planes, the cavities may be encapsulated by thegasket 106. Therefore, in instances where the internal componentsinclude the light sources 110, the light sources 110 residing with thecavities may be encapsulated in a water-tight enclosure. That is to say,the components may combine to form a sealed, water-tight enclosure,protecting the light sources 110 form damage or malfunction. However,while the display 100 has been illustrated and discussed regarding aparticular order or orientation of the light guide 104, the gasket 106,the flexible printed circuit assembly 108, and/or the adhesive tape 114in respective X-Y-Z planes, in some instances, other combinations may beincluded. For instance, the adhesive tape 114 may seal the bottom of thecavities while the flexible printed circuit assembly 108 seals a top ofthe cavities.

The display 100 may be interposed between a top cover 126 and a bottomcover 128. The top cover 126 and/or the bottom cover 128 may serve toencapsulate the display 100 and may provide further water-proofing tothe display 100. The top cover 126 and/or the bottom cover 128 mayinclude any materials that provide rigidity to the display 100, protectthe display 100, or may include apertures so as to make the displayscreen 102 visible external to the top cover 126 and/or the bottom cover128. Furthermore, other layers or components may be interposed betweenthe top cover 126 and the bottom cover 128, as indicated by the seriesof dots on FIG. 1. For instance, and without limitation, other layersmay include a touch-sensitive layer or printed circuit boards (PCBs).

In some instances, as alluded to previously, to further seal and/orwater-proof the cavities, glue or adhesive may be deposited, forinstance, between seams or interfaces of the light guide 104 and thegasket 106. This application of the adhesive may help enclose andprevent water permeation into the cavities. Furthermore, while FIG. 1illustrates that the notches 118 are integrated into the gasket 106, insome instances, the notches 118 may be integrated into the light guide104.

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of the display 100, looking from theZ-direction perpendicular to the X and Y planes. In FIG. 2, a portion ofthe adhesive tape 114 is shown as being cut away to illustratecomponents of the example display. In addition, FIG. 2 includes anexpanded and simplified representation of the display 100.

The display 100 may include the display screen 102. On a side, surface,or edge of the display screen 102, the light guide 104 may be coupled.While FIG. 2 shows the light guide 104 coupled to a particular side orsurface of the display screen 102 (along a Y-Z plane), in someinstances, the light guide 104 may be included on different sides or onmultiple sides of the display screen 102 (e.g., along a X-Z plane). Asmentioned previously, the light guide 104 may redirect or disperse lightemitted by the light sources 110 towards the display screen 102 and/orother areas of the display 100.

Attached to the light guide 104 may be the gasket 106. The gasket 106may include the interior surface 120 that is adjacent the light guide104 and an exterior surface 200 that is distal from the interior surface120. In this sense, the exterior surface 200 of the gasket 106 mayrepresent an external perimeter of the gasket 106. In some instances,the exterior surface 200 of the gasket 106 may be continuous. A portionof the interior surface 120 of the gasket 106, such as first and secondends, may couple to the light guide 104. In some instances, the firstand second ends of the light guide 104 may couple to the exteriorsurface 116 of the light guide 104, forming a water-tight seal. Tofurther bond the light guide 104 and the gasket 106, an adhesive may beadded to a seam or interface disposed between the interior surface 120of the gasket 106 that couples to the exterior surface 116 of lightguide 104.

With reference to FIG. 1, when the gasket 106 is coupled to the lightguide 106, cavities 202 may be formed (via the notches 118).Accordingly, the cavities 202 may be interposed between the interiorsurface 120 of the gasket 106 and the exterior surface 116 of the lightguide 104. As shown, when the cavities 202 are formed, the cavities 202may house the light sources 110. In some instances, the light sources110 may be communicatively coupled or connected to the flexible printedcircuit assembly 108. The cavities 202 may extend down a lengthwisedirection the gasket 106, between the first and second ends of thegasket 106.

In addition, the walls 122 may be interposed between adjacent cavities202. That is, at least a portion of the interior surface 120 of thegasket 106 may protrude or occupy a space between adjacent light sources110. In some instances, the walls 122 may offset or spaced off theexterior surface 116 of the light guide 104 (as shown). However, in someinstances, the walls may couple to the exterior surface 116 of the lightguide 104.

While FIG. 2 shows that the cavities 202 have a substantiallyrectangular shape, in some instances, the cavities 202 may take othershapes (e.g., circular, square, hexagonal, irregular, etc.).

In addition, FIG. 2 also illustrates that the exterior surface 116 ofthe light guide 104 may be planar along a Y-Z plane and that the gasket106 may couple to the exterior surface 116. However, in some instances,the light guide 104 may include a lip, rim, or other border that boundsportions of the interior surface 120 or the exterior surface 200 of thegasket 106. In addition, the lip may encapsulate the top surface of thegasket 106 (along a second X-Y plane), the bottom surface of the gasket106 (along the X-Y plane spaced apart from the second X-Y plane in theZ-direction), and/or the first and second ends of the gasket 106. Thatis, the gasket 106 may be disposed adjacent to the lip, so that thegasket 102 abuts the lip. In some instances, the lip may further couplethe light guide 104 and the gasket 106. In some instance, an adhesivemay be disposed between the gasket and the lip. In some instances, thelip may also form an increased water-tight seal between the light guide104 and the gasket 106.

The adhesive tape 114 may be sized to cover and seal the cavities 202along a X-Y plane and protect the light sources 110 from water ingress.In FIG. 2, the adhesive tape 114 is shown as completely covering thegasket 106 and only a portion of the light guide 104 and/or otherportions of the display 100. However, in some instances, the adhesivetape 114 may cover only a portion of the gasket 106 and/or more or lessof the light guide 104 than as illustrated in FIG. 2, so as to extend atother lengths or in other directions onto the light guide 104 and/or thedisplay 100.

In addition, in some instances, to protect the light sources 110 or tocouple the light source 110 to the gasket 106, the light guide 104,and/or the adhesive tape 114, additional adhesive may be disposed withinor adjacent to the cavities 202. However, in such instances, theadhesive may be added without adversely affecting light emitted by thelight sources 110.

FIG. 3 is a back view of the display 100, looking from the Z-directionperpendicular to the X-Y plane. Shown in FIG. 3, a portion of theflexible printed circuit assembly 108 is cut away to illustratecomponents of the example display 100.

The flexible printed circuit assembly 108 may couple to the light guide104 and the gasket 106, providing the cavities 202 with a water-tightenclosure. The light sources 110 disposed within the cavities 202 arecoupled to the flexible printed circuit assembly 108.

The walls 122 may be disposed between adjacent cavities 202. In someinstances, as mentioned above, the walls 122 may be offset or spacedapart from the exterior surface 116 of the light guide 104 (in theX-direction) and/or may couple to the exterior surface 116 of the lightguide 104, for instance, by applying an adhesive. In addition, while thewalls 122 are shown as having a certain thickness in the Y-direction,the walls 122 may be thinner or thicker than that illustrated in FIG. 3.

Moreover, although FIG. 3 shows the flexible printed circuit assembly108 extending onto the light guide 104 and/or the display 100 to acertain distance, in some instances, the flexible printed circuitassembly 108 may extend at other lengths or in other directions.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views of the display 100 taken alonglines A-A and B-B of FIG. 2, respectively, looking in the Y-directionperpendicular to the X-Z plane. Particularly, FIG. 4A is across-sectional view taken through the light source 110 positionedwithin the display 100. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken throughthe center of the wall 122 of a corresponding cavity of the cavities202. As shown in FIG. 4B, the light source 110 is represented withdashed lines in order to illustrate its position within the cavities202.

The gasket 106 may include the interior surface 120 that is adjacent tothe light guide 104 and the exterior surface 200 that is distal to theinterior surface 120. To encapsulate a top of the cavities 202, theadhesive tape 114 may be adhered to a top surface 400 of the light guide104 and a top surface 402 of the gasket 106 (in an X-Y plane). Asmentioned previously, the top surface 400 of the light guide 104 may besubstantially planar with the top surface 402 of the gasket 106.However, in some instances, the top surface 400 of the light guide 104may not be substantially planar with the top surface 402 of the gasket106. In addition, in some instances, the top surface 402 of the gasket106 may be more porous than the exterior surface 200 of the gasket 106,so as to absorb adhesive of the adhesive tape 114.

The walls 122 may be disposed between adjacent cavities 202 and may beoffset from the exterior surface 116 of the light guide 104. Shown inFIG. 4B, the light source 110, represented as having dashed lines, maybe interposed between the walls 122 of the gasket 106.

The flexible printed circuit assembly 108 may couple to a bottom surface404 of the light guide 104 and a bottom surface 406 of the gasket 106(along an X-Y plane that is spaced apart from the top of the cavities202 in the Z-direction). In addition, in some instances, the bottomsurface 404 of the light guide 104 and the bottom surface 406 of thegasket 106 may be substantially planar. In this sense, the light guide104 and the gasket 106 may occupy a same layer of the display 100, orstated another way, may be of the same or similar thickness. In someinstances, the planarness of the surfaces may increase coupling betweenthe light guide 104, the gasket 106, and the flexible printed circuitassembly 108. To further water-proof the display 100, adhesive may bedisposed between interfaces or seams of the display 100, such as betweenthe exterior surface 116 of the light guide 104 and the interior surface120 of the gasket 106. In some instances, the flexible printed circuitassembly 108 may be coupled to the light guide 104 and the gasket 106 byoptically clear adhesive 112.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the cavities 202 may extend completely through thegasket 106 (i.e., through a whole thickness of the gasket 106 in theZ-direction). However, in some instances, the cavities 202 may extendthrough less than all of the thickness of the gasket 106.

The light sources 110 may be disposed within the cavities 202 and may becoupled to the flexible printed circuit assembly 108. To accomplishthis, in instances where the optically clear adhesive 112 is used, thelight sources 110 may connect with the flexible printed circuit assembly108 by extending through the optically clear adhesive 112 or theoptically clear adhesive 112 may be applied around or spaced from thelight sources 110 connected to the flexible printed circuit assembly108.

In addition, while FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate that an exterior edge 408of the display 100 is planar, in some instances, the adhesive tape 114may overhang or extend beyond the gasket 106, as shown by the expandedview in FIG. 4A. Similarly, the flexible printed circuit assembly 108may overhang the gasket 106 in a similar manner. In these instances, toseal the flexible printed circuit assembly 108 with the gasket 106 aswell as the adhesive tape 114 to the gasket 106, an adhesive may beapplied to an area between the respective overhangs.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate an alternative example of a display 500. FIG.5A is a partial perspective view of the display 500. In addition, FIG.5B represents a cross-sectional view of the display, taken along lineC-C of FIG. 5A.

Similar to the display 100, as discussed above, the display 500 mayinclude a light guide 502, a flexible printed circuit assembly 504,adhesive tape 506, and light sources 508. However, as shown, in someinstances, the display 500 in this example may omit a gasket enclosingthe light sources 508.

Instead, in this example, the light sources 508 may be disposed inchannels 510 punched, pressed, cut or otherwise formed in the lightguide 502, between a bottom surface 512 and a top surface 518. That is,the channels 510 may extend between a first X-Y plane, representing abottom surface 512 of the light guide 502, and a second X-Y plane,representing a top surface 518 of the light guide. The channels 510 maybe separated from one another so as to not be coupled along a length ofthe light guide 502 (in the X-direction). In such instances, portions ofthe light guide 502 may be interposed between adjacent channels 510. Tolimit liquid penetration and voids, the light guide 502 may be made froma single piece water-impermeable of material such as glass or plastic.

The light sources 508 may be communicatively coupled to the flexibleprinted circuit assembly 504. To encapsulate the channels 510 from thebottom (first X-Y plane), for instance, the flexible printed circuitassembly 504 may couple to the bottom surface 512 of the light guide502. Accordingly, when the flexible printed circuit assembly 504 iscoupled to the light guide 502, the light sources 508 may be disposedwithin the channels 510, so as to be interposed within an interiorsurface 514 of the channels 510. In some instances, an optically clearadhesive 516 may couple to the flexible printed circuit assembly 504 andthe light guide 502, forming a water-tight seal. In addition, a distancebetween the light sources 508, for instance, and the interior surface504 of the channels 510 may be more or less than that shown in FIGS. 5Aand 5B. The channels 510 may also be sized to receive multiple or anynumber of the light sources 508. In some examples, each channel mayhouse a single light source. In some examples, each channel may housemultiple light sources. In some examples, a single channel may be usedwhich houses all of the light sources.

On the top surface 518 of the light guide 502, the adhesive tape 506 maybe applied over the channels 510 (along the second X-Y plane). In someinstances, to couple the adhesive tape 506 to the light guide 502, theadhesive tape 506 may have or include an optically clear adhesive. Theadhesive tape 516 may seal a top of the channels 510, preventing wateror other liquids from reaching the light sources 508. As discussed abovewith regards to the display 100, the adhesive tape 506 may permit lightfrom the light sources 508 to pass therethrough without beingsubstantially affected.

Collectively, the light guide 502, the flexible printed circuit assembly504, and the adhesive tape 506 may form a water-tight enclosure occupiedby the light sources 508. That is, in this example, the light sources508 may be encapsulated on four sides (lateral and longitudinal) by thelight guide 502, on a bottom by the flexible printed circuit assembly504 (first X-Y plane), and a top by the adhesive tape 506 (second X-Yplane). In some instances, the display 100 may include multiple layers,including the flexible printed circuit assembly 504, the light guide 502with the light sources 508, and the adhesive tape 506. Similar to thedisplay 100, other internal components may reside within the water-tightenclosure in addition to or instead of the light sources 508.

Additionally, or alternatively, and as mentioned above, internalcomponents other than the light sources 508 may be included within thechannels 510. For instance, a hall sensor 520 may be disposed within thechannels 510. That is, the channels 510 may be occupied more differentor like internal components, such as the hall sensor 520 and the lightsources 508. In some instances, the channels 510 may be correspondinglynotched or grooved to receive the additional internal components (e.g.the hall sensor 510, which illustrates a notch residing into theinterior surface 514 of one of the channels 510).

Example Process of Forming a Water-Tight Enclosure

FIG. 6 illustrates an example process 600 of forming a water-tightenclosure(s). The order in which the operations are described is notintended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of thedescribed operations can be combined in any order and/or in parallel toimplement the process.

At operation 602, a gasket may be secured or adhered to a light guide,which in some instances, may be coupled to a display. The gasket and thelight guide may be coupled together using adhesive, sonic or thermalwelding, or other attachment means. In addition, top surfaces and bottomsurfaces of the gasket and light guide, respectively, may be aligned, soas to be co-planar. When coupled, cavities may be interposed between thegasket and the light guide. Adhesive used to adhere the gasket and/orthe light guide may be selectively applied, so as to limit runoff orbleeding over into the cavities. When coupled, the gasket and the lightguide may form a water-tight seal.

At operation 604, light sources deposited on the flexible printedcircuit assembly, or communicatively coupled thereto, may be alignedwithin the cavities interposed between the light guide and the gasket.In some instances, the flexible printed circuit assembly may be alignedwith a first side or a bottom surface of the cavities, with the lightsources protruding from the flexible printed circuit assembly into thecavities.

At operation 606, the flexible printed circuit assembly may be coupledto bottom surfaces of the gasket and the light guide, respectively. Insome instances, the flexible printed circuit assembly, the light guide,and the gasket may be coupled together using an optically clearadhesive. Accordingly, in such instances, the optically clear adhesivemay be aligned or deposited on the flexible printed circuit assembly,the light guide, and/or the gasket. Thus, when the flexible printedcircuit assembly is coupled to the gasket and the light guide, the lightsources may reside within or occupy the cavities and may be sealed fromthe bottom. The adhesion between the flexible printed circuit assemblyand the gasket and the light guide may form a water-tight seal. Atoperation 606, prior to coupling the flexible printed circuit board tothe light guide and the gasket, in some instances, ends, surfaces,and/or edges of the flexible printed circuit assembly may be alignedwith ends, surfaces, or edges of the gasket and/or light guide,respectively. However, in some instances, the flexible printed circuitassembly may overhang an exterior surface of the gasket.

At operation 608, adhesive tape may be adhered to top surfaces of thegasket and the light guide, respectively, so as to enclose a top orsecond side of the cavities. In some instances, the adhesive tape may betransparent or translucent, allowing light from the light sources topass therethrough. The adhesive tape may couple to all or a portion ofthe gasket and the light guide, or other components of an electronicdevice. In addition, ends, surfaces, or edges of the adhesive tape maybe aligned with the ends, surfaces, or edges of the gasket and/or thelight guide. However, in some instances, the adhesive tape may overhangthe gasket. In that case, adhesive may be applied between the overhangof the adhesive tape and the overhang of the flexible printed circuitassembly. Additionally or alternatively, the overhang of the adhesivetape may be pressed down into contact with the exterior of the gasketand/or the opposing overhang of the flexible printed circuit assembly toprovide a further barrier against moisture.

The process 600 is not limited to the explicit operations recited andmay include other operations. For instance, adhesive may be applied toseams or interfaces of the display, such as an interface between thelight guide and the gasket. In addition, the water-tight enclosure ofthis application may be manufactured using a variety of manufacturingtechniques.

The process 600 described herein may be employed to efficientlyfabricate a water-tight enclosure for different arrangements of internalcomponents. In addition, the operations discussed in the process 600 maybe performed in other orders. For instance, the flexible printed circuitassembly may and the light guide may first be adhered together.Thereafter, the gasket may be adhered to both the light guide and theflexible printed circuit assembly, such that the light sources aredisposed with the cavities.

CONCLUSION

While various examples and embodiments are described individuallyherein, the examples and embodiments may be combined, rearranged andmodified to arrive at other variations within the scope of thisdisclosure. In addition, although the subject matter has been describedin language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts,it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appendedclaims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actsdescribed. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed asillustrative forms of implementing the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device, comprising: a housing; anda display disposed at least partially within the housing, the displayincluding: a light guide having a top surface and a bottom surface; agasket coupled to at least a portion of the light guide, the gaskethaving a top surface and a bottom surface, and wherein a cavity isinterposed between an interior surface of the gasket and the lightguide; a flexible printed circuit assembly coupled to the bottom surfaceof the light guide and the bottom surface of the gasket, the flexibleprinted circuit assembly sealing a bottom of the cavity; a plurality oflight sources connected to the flexible printed circuit assembly,wherein the plurality of light sources are disposed within the cavity;and adhesive tape coupled to the top surface of the light guide and thetop surface of the gasket, the adhesive tape sealing a top of thecavity.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the light guidebounds a first side of the cavity; the gasket bounds a second side, athird side, and a forth side of the cavity; the flexible printed circuitassembly bounds a fifth side of the cavity; the adhesive tape bounds asixth side of the cavity; and collectively the light guide, the gasket,the flexible printed circuit assembly, and the adhesive tape seal thecavity from water.
 3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein at leasta portion of the interior surface of the gasket protrudes into a spacebetween first and second adjacent light sources of the plurality oflight sources.
 4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the gasketincludes at least one of a plastic or a foam material.
 5. A displaystack, comprising: a first layer including a flexible printed circuitassembly; a second layer positioned adjacent the first layer, the secondlayer including: a light guide; a gasket having an interior surface andan exterior surface, wherein at least a portion of the gasket is coupledto a side of the light guide; a cavity interposed between the interiorsurface of the gasket and the light guide; and a plurality of lightsources coupled to the flexible printed circuit assembly, wherein theplurality of light sources are disposed within the cavity; and a thirdlayer positioned adjacent the second layer, the third layer includingadhesive tape coupled to the light guide and the gasket to enclose thecavity.
 6. The display stack of claim 5, wherein the first layer and thethird layer are sealed to the second layer to prevent water fromreaching the plurality of light sources in the cavity.
 7. The displaystack of claim 5, wherein the cavity includes multiple separate cavitiesinterposed between the interior surface of the gasket and the lightguide, and wherein individual light sources of the plurality of lightsources are disposed within individual cavities of the multiple separatecavities.
 8. The display stack of claim 5, wherein: the gasket comprisesmultiple protrusions protruding from the interior surface of the gaskettoward the side of the light guide, and individual protrusions of themultiple protrusions protrude into the cavity between adjacent lightsources of the plurality of light sources.
 9. The display stack of claim5, wherein the gasket is continuous and extends along a length of thelight guide.
 10. The display stack of claim 5, wherein the gasketincludes at least one of a plastic or a foam material.
 11. The displaystack of claim 5, wherein the plurality of light sources are spacedsubstantially equidistantly along a length of the light guide.
 12. Thedisplay stack of claim 5, wherein the plurality of light sources arecoupled to the flexible printed circuit assembly in a line that issubstantially parallel to the side of the light guide.
 13. A device,comprising: a housing; and a display disposed within the housing, thedisplay including: a light guide; a gasket coupled to a side of thelight guide; a cavity interposed between the light guide and the gasket;a circuit board coupled to at least a portion of the light guide and atleast a portion of the gasket, the circuit board inhibiting liquid fromreaching the cavity; a plurality of light sources connected to thecircuit board, wherein the plurality of light sources are disposedwithin the cavity; and adhesive tape coupled to at least a portion ofthe light guide and at least a portion of the gasket, the adhesive tapeinhibiting liquid from reaching the cavity.
 14. The device of claim 13,wherein the gasket is coupled to light guide using an adhesive.
 15. Thedevice of claim 13, wherein the gasket includes: an exterior surface;and an interior surface, and wherein the light guide bounds a first sideof the cavity and the interior surface of the gasket bounds second,third, and fourth sides of the cavity, the circuit board bounds a fifthside of the cavity, and the adhesive tape bounds a sixth side of thecavity, such that collectively the light guide, the gasket, the circuitboard, and the adhesive tape seal the cavity from water.
 16. The deviceof claim 13, wherein: the plurality of light sources are spacedsubstantially equidistantly along a length of the light guide, and thegasket includes a plurality of protrusions that protrude from the gaskettoward the light guide, such that individual protrusions of theplurality of protrusions protrude into spaces between adjacent lightsources of the plurality of light sources.
 17. The device of claim 16,wherein the plurality of light sources are coupled to the circuit boardin a line that is substantially parallel to the side of the light guide.18. The device of claim 13, wherein the gasket includes: a first endcoupled to the light guide; and a second end coupled to the light guide,wherein at least a portion of the gasket between the first end and thesecond end is spaced from the light guide.
 19. The device of claim 13,wherein the gasket includes at least one of a plastic or a foammaterial.
 20. The device of claim 13, wherein the circuit boardcomprises a flexible printed circuit assembly.